Sources Say Dustin Daniels Received Football Tickets From Adam Corey

Back in August 2017 sources told TR that City Manager Rick Fernandez took football tickets from city lobbyist Adam Corey.

Now, some of the same sources tell Tallahassee Reports that Dustin Daniels, the current Chief of Staff for Mayor Andrew Gillum, also received free football tickets from city lobbyist and city vendor Adam Corey during the 2016 season.

The sources confirmed Daniels attended most, if not all of the home games, during the season.

The tickets, valued at approximately $400-$500, provided access to Corey’s infamous FSU skybox.

Florida statutes regulate the acceptance and solicitation of gifts by government employees. The level of possible ethics violations depends upon the job responsibilities that fall to Daniels in the Mayors Office.

For example, if Daniels was involved in procurement decisions or recommendations, the ethics rules are more restrictive.

In addition, the City’s Independent Ethics Board recently referred a complaint to City Manager Reese Goad which alleges other city employees received tickets from Corey during the 2016 season.

Tallahassee Reports has documented the relationship between Daniels and Adam Corey, who is a central figure in the FBI inquiry of city hall.

Daniels traveled with Corey, Gillum and Sean Pittman on a controversial trip to Pittsburgh in January of 2015.

Daniels also accompanied Corey and Gillum on a political trip to Tampa in February 2016 as Gillum was preparing to run for governor.

The Tallahassee Democrat recently wrote a story about Daniels possibly running for office. Daniels refused to confirm or deny a campaign was in his future.

However, multiple sources have told Tallahassee Reports that the talk around city hall is that Mayor Andrew Gillum and Sean Pittman, a city lobbyist, are encouraging Daniels to run for a City Commission seat or for Mayor.

I have questioned this for years. Advertising at the airport is a revenue source for the airport and taxpayers. When you see city lobbyists and airport advisory board members advertising their law firms in prominent locations at the airport one must ask if this is appropriate at the very least. This started in the Marks era. I was shocked when I first saw this! I would like to see the contracts for advertising and what and if they were paying for the ads at market value. If they were not paying they need to be sent a bill. If they did pay I would like to see that evidence. It they were allowed free advertising this is a very serious matter and theft. No city lobbyist or airport board member should be allowed to advertise while in those positions. Again, more evidence of mismanagement on another level.

The ‘advertising’ procurement/expenses on the City busses (as well as the bus financial system) needs independent audit and review also. So who will be taking control of StarMetro (and Bus Advertising) when Terry Lowe leaves for a second time (recall: Fernandez rehired Lowe after his 1st retirement)? And what are her credentials and alliance support for the NFBPA – National Association for Black Public Administrators (like Anita Favor Thompson and Cynthia Barber NFBPA’s City based support)? Inquiring minds/FBI may like to know?

Perhaps there is already a Public Record request in place with the City’s response which was dated approximately September of 2017 that states something to the effect of:

“A complete listing of all City of Tallahassee employees who were offered and/or accepted exclusive football tickets in the sky box through or associated with Mr. Rick Fernandez. Supply date of games and all associated emails and information per acceptance, refusal and additional offers. Please include this for the last 6 years (2011 to present).“ Note – a follow-up clarification included all communications, including texts….

So how did the City respond to this formal Public Record Request, Ms. Jackson/Mr. Shelley?

Great, that’s all we need – a Gillum lackey running for city commissioner or mayor – as if things weren’t bad enough already here. Imagine the city suffering under a ring of like-minded, collusive, corrupt officials. Actually, you don’t have to imagine – it’s been going on for the entire decade I’ve lived here.

If the FBI doesn’t “find anything” in all this investigation business (just as they excused Hillary’s bathroom-bound email server that had gobs of classified government information on it) and just packs up and leaves town, my wife and I will probably be spending the next decade in a more promising city – one that has the basic sense to vote for officials based on proven ethics and qualifications, not skin color and empty-suit blathering.

Give me a break. Until you have a NAMED source, this is schoolhouse gossip. Also, the threatening tone of “ethics violations” is dog whistle BS until you actually cite the infraction. Simply saying something is “more restrictive” based on the scope of his employment without citing facts of either the statute or the employment is, quite literally, not saying anything at all. Here we go again with another witch hunt that has become so synonymous with this rag. And to the point about Daniels actually considering a run: has anyone done any research on him? Seems to be well-respected in the – GASP – business community.

Gee – NAMED sources. I completely agree – Pres. Trump has been slandered for his entire 1st year due to anonymous “sources” that prompted untrue and later retracted stories from the NY Times and the Wash Post, so I agree with you that those two “rags” were wrong to portray anonymous “sources” as actual fact. They are still doing that – slow learners.
As for our local situation, we presently have one known (Fernandez) ethics violation and a years-long trail of suspect “business arrangements” that involve the same repetitive circle of COT elected officials and local developers, lobbyists, etc. So when something else seems to be smoking locally, a rational person would work from experience and look into a possible fire, as TR is doing here. And since the FBI is also here snooping around, there must be much smoke to investigate, otherwise why waste FBI investigators in our little city?

Thanks, Mr. Williams – I’m glad some Liberal Democrats and COT insiders read this site – or also a future Daniels campaign employee. Not that you have much choice, it’s the only objective, investigative media source in this city. Enjoy your TR reading, and of course we all hope the FBI has a huge success here, cleans house, and Tallahassee can become the great city it has the potential to be – which it can’t with any present COT elected officials and much of their staffs.

Speaking of the FBI not wasting their time with city investigations that go nowhere, my faith has been restored this morning (Sat Jan 27) by this story: The mayor of Hallandale Beach FL just got busted by an FBI sting on three felony corruption charges. Good to know the FBI is looking into other FL cities besides our own, and am I glad they’re investigating here in Tallahassee!

So – all elected COT officials, long-time staffers, CRA personnel, and associated city cronies – be on watch. The corrupt party here in Tallahassee could come to a similar and abrupt end at any time.

Mr. Williams,
Specific naming of sources within the appropriate investigations is occurring. It’s just not occurring at this time in this article; your observation is valid though; your presentation weak; and your apparent support aligned with this crumbling corrupt system. Look at today’s headlines in the Democrat. 3 stories on the FBI investigation of COT; do a search for FBI and City of Tallahassee – it’s on the AP and nationally presented. There is plenty of reading material available; and PLENTY more to come. Watch the development of this story.

Mr. Williams, these are the same sources that exposed City Manager Rick Fernandez who eventually admitted to taking tickets from a city lobbyist. We stand by our reporting and look forward to comments from by Mr. Daniels.

When you are in private business this type of thing like free football tickets is totally OK and a normal part of how business gets done “In – The – Private -Sector”.
When you are serving the public in any sort of government position this type of thing like free football tickets is totally inappropriate and likely will subject you to 1). termination, 2) complete forfeiture of any and all retirement benefits earned including deferred comp for the elite, and 3) likely most important of all; just being proven to be the selfish greedy jerk that you are to the general public [including the FORMER Tallahassee lock-step lefty liberal D party line voters] which you were hired to serve.
Just saying.

Probably now is time for termination due to violation of gift laws. Can the new interim city attorney recommend to the new interim city manager to terminate the violators? That would be a step in the right direction.